View full sizeAl Di Rienzo, president and CEO of Blue Highway, speaks at Syracuse University's Life Sciences complex in 2008. He has been hired as the first executive director of the Biomedical Institute of the Americas in El Paso, Texas.Dick Blume | dblume@syracuse.com, 2008

Di Rienzo, 54, former chief science and technology officer at medical equipment maker Welch Allyn in Skaneateles, told The Post-Standard Thursday that, while Blue Highway has "been my baby, my passion," New York's tax and regulatory burdens make it difficult to spin out new companies.

"It does stifle growth," he said.

Texas, on the other hand, has a very favorable business landscape, with government, industry and academia "all pulling together to bring about positive change," he said.

He said he will start in his new job in early June.

The Biomedical Institute will help researchers at universities and other research institutions develop medicines and medical devices and help build a biomedical industry in El Paso, according to the El Paso Times.

Di Rienzo has 27 years of industry experience that includes research and development appointments with Welch Allyn, Phillips Medical Systems, Siemens Medical Systems, Honeywell/Sperry Aerospace and General Dynamics, according to Blue Highway's website.

The Technology Alliance of Central New York named him Technologist of the Year in 2009.

Welch Allyn created Blue Highway in 2008 to develop new technologies for the medical equipment manufacturer. Di Rienzo was named president and CEO of the subsidiary, which set up shop at Syracuse University.

Welch Allyn transferred ownership of Blue Highway to SU in 2011, allowing it to branch out beyond health care to other areas of science and technology while still remaining a for-profit corporation.